Chief Justice of Nigeria “Walter Onnoghen” to Be Arraign Before CCT On Monday – FG

The federal government has filed charges against Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), over alleged non-declaration of assets and operating accounts with foreign currency.

According to report, There werw moves to remove Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen before tge elections, the charges were served on Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen at his Abuja residence on Friday ahead of his arraignment on Monday.

A civil society group, Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI), had petitioned the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), listing a number of allegations against Onnoghen.

The group said its petition, dated January 7, 2019, became necessary “bearing in mind the imminence of the 2019 General Elections and the overwhelming roles of the Judicial Arm both before and after”.

The petition was stamped “received” by the office of the CCB chairman on January 9, 2019.

The CCB is empowered by the constitution to investigate public officers, after which it would forward its findings to the appropriate body for trial if the allegations are confirmed.

A motion on notice would be filed against the Chief Justice of Nigeria demanding the tribunal to order him to vacate office and recuse himself from office so as to prevent alleged interference in his arraignment and trial

“A senior advocate of Nigeria has been engaged by Federal Government to lead the onslaught against justice Onnoghen,”

In 2015, a 13-count charge was filed against Senate President Bukola Saraki but he was discharged and acquitted two years later.

The supreme court under the leadership of Onnoghen had ruled that there was no evidence to convict the nation’s number three citizen.

No chief justice of Nigeria has ever been subjected to trial, although the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has charged judges to court over allegations of graft and money laundering.

An early morning raid was conducted by the secret police on the residences of some judges in 2016 and substantial amounts of money in local and foreign currencies were recovered.